[LOR] Planeswalker FAQ

[Solmancer]

Copypasted from the minisite article:

Originally Posted by Mark Gottlieb

You can play a planeswalker only at the time you could play a sorcery. A planeswalker is a permanent, so when a planeswalker spell resolves, it comes into play under your control. Any spell or ability that affects a permanent (for example, "destroy target permanent") can affect a planeswalker. Note that planeswalkers aren't creatures; if a card says it affects a creature, it won't affect a planeswalker.

PLANESWALKER SUBTYPES
Each planeswalker has a subtype. For example, Garruk Wildspeaker says "Planeswalker -- Garruk" on its type line. These subtypes are also called planeswalker types. These are not creature types; they're an independent list.

* If two or more planeswalkers that share a subtype are in play, they're all put into their owners' graveyards as a state-based effect.

PLANESWALKER LOYALTY
Loyalty is a characteristic only planeswalkers have. Each planeswalker has a loyalty number printed in the lower right corner of the card. This isn't a power or toughness -- it's a new value.

A planeswalker comes into play with a number of loyalty counters on it equal to its loyalty number. While a planeswalker is in play, its loyalty is equal to the number of loyalty counters on it, and its printed loyalty number is ignored.

Damage dealt to a planeswalker results in that many loyalty counters being removed from it; see "Dealing Damage to Planeswalkers" below.

Playing an ability of a planeswalker causes it to gain or lose loyalty; see "Planeswalker Abilities" below. As a planeswalker loses loyalty, that many loyalty counters are removed from it. As a planeswalker gains loyalty, that many additional counters are put onto it.

If a planeswalker's loyalty is 0, it's put into its owner's graveyard as a state-based effect.

While a planeswalker card isn't in play, its loyalty is equal to the number printed in its lower right corner.

PLANESWALKER ABILITIES
Each planeswalker in the Lorwyn set has three activated abilities. These abilities have specific restrictions that aren't spelled out on the card, and their costs use a new symbol.

An ability of a planeswalker may be played only by that planeswalker's controller, and only any time he or she could play a sorcery. A player may play a planeswalker's ability the turn it enters play. A player may not play a planeswalker's ability if any of its abilities have been played already that turn. In other words, you're limited to one ability from each of your planeswalkers during your turn.

The cost to play a planeswalker's ability is represented by an arrow with a number inside. Up-arrows contain positive numbers, such as "+3"; this means "Put three loyalty counters on this planeswalker." Down-arrows contain negative numbers, such as "-1"; this means "Remove one loyalty counter from this planeswalker." You can't play a planeswalker's ability with a negative loyalty cost unless the planeswalker has at least that many loyalty counters on it.

PLANESWALKERS IN COMBAT
Planeswalkers aren't creatures, so they can't attack or block. However, planeswalkers can be attacked.

As the declare attackers step begins, if the defending player controls a planeswalker, the active player declares who or what each attacking creature is attacking: the defending player or one of that player's planeswalkers. All the attacking creatures may attack the same thing, or they may attack different things. If the defending player controls multiple planeswalkers, any or all of them can be attacked during the same combat phase.

As the declare blockers step begins, the defending player declares which creatures he or she controls (if any) are blocking the attacking creatures. The blocking creatures don't care who or what the attackers are attacking.
During the combat damage step, damage from unblocked creatures attacking the defending player, damage from blocked creatures, and damage from blocking creatures is assigned and dealt as normal. Unblocked creatures that are attacking a planeswalker assign and deal their combat damage to that planeswalker, which causes that many loyalty counters to be removed from it. Planeswalkers, like players, don't deal combat damage.

If a creature with trample is attacking a planeswalker and is blocked, the attacker must assign lethal damage to each blocker, and may assign excess damage to the planeswalker. However, a creature with trample that's attacking a planeswalker can't "trample over" that planeswalker and assign combat damage to the defending player.

If a planeswalker leaves play or changes controllers, it's removed from combat and stops being attacked. However, a creature that was attacking that planeswalker isn't removed from combat -- it continues to attack. It may be blocked. If it isn't blocked, it remains an attacking creature but assigns no damage during the combat damage step. If it is blocked, it will deal damage to any creature blocking it as normal. If the attacker has trample, the trample ability has no effect because there's nothing for the creature to assign excess damage to.

In the Two-Headed Giant multiplayer variant, a creature can attack the defending team or attack a planeswalker controlled by either member of that team. A creature attacking a planeswalker can be blocked by creatures controlled by either member of the defending team, not just creatures controlled by the planeswalker's controller.

DEALING DAMAGE TO PLANESWALKERS
If a source you control would deal noncombat damage to an opponent, you may have that source deal that damage to a planeswalker that opponent controls instead. This is a redirection effect: you choose whether to redirect the damage as the redirection effect is applied, and it's subject to the normal rules for ordering replacement effects. The player affected by the damage chooses the order in which to apply such effects, but the controller of the source of the damage chooses whether the damage is redirected. Note that this redirection can't be applied to combat damage.

For example, although you can't target a planeswalker with Shock, you can target your opponent with Shock, and then as Shock resolves, choose to have Shock deal its 2 damage to one of your opponent's planeswalkers. If you do, two loyalty counters are removed from that planeswalker.

You can't choose to split the damage between a player and a planeswalker. In the Shock example above, you couldn't have Shock deal 1 damage to the player and 1 damage to the planeswalker.

If a source you control would deal damage to you, you can't have that source deal that damage to one of your planeswalkers instead.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, damage that would be dealt to a player can't be redirected to a planeswalker his or her teammate controls.

Pretty much what we reverse-engineered, but it's nice to get confirmation.

EDIT:

Originally Posted by rancored_elf

A summary of the stuff we weren't already clear about, for those not wanting to read the whole thing:

- any spell or ability that affects a permanent can affect a planeswalker (can be tapped, returned to hand, destroyed, etc)
- if a card only affects a creature, it won't affect a planeswalker (Condemn and Damnation do nothing to them)
- if two or more planeswalkers that share a subtype are in play, they're all put into their owners' graveyards as a state-based effect (so they're effectively legendary without saying so)
- you're limited to one ability from each of your planeswalkers during your turn and only any time you could play a sorcery
- you can't play a planeswalker's ability with a negative loyalty cost unless the planeswalker has at least that many loyalty counters on it
- as the declare attackers step begins, the active player declares who or what each attacking creature is attacking: the defending player or any of that player's planeswalkers
- blocking creatures don't care who or what the attackers are attacking
- unblocked creatures that are attacking a planeswalker assign and deal their combat damage to that planeswalker
- a creature with trample that's attacking a planeswalker can't "trample over" that planeswalker and assign combat damage to the defending player (duh)
- if a planeswalker leaves play or changes controllers, it stops being attacked, but a creature that was attacking it isn't removed from combat: if it isn't blocked it remains an attacking creature but assigns no combat damage
- if a source you control would deal noncombat damage to an opponent, you may have that source deal all of that damage to a planeswalker that opponent controls instead (damage can't be split up between the player and their planeswalker/planeswalkers)
- if a source you control would deal damage to you, you can't have that source deal that damage to one of your planeswalkers instead (you can't cast Hurricane and have your planeswalker take the damage instead of you)

Rules clarifications:

You can use damage prevention to stop damage to you that might be redirected to your planeswalkers. Just apply the damage prevention before the option to redirect, so you (and your planeswalkers) are safe.

Smart players playing Garruk against red decks won't lose him due to Incinerate. Play Garruk. When he comes into play, you get priority again. Activate his +1 ability (untapping two lands). The +1 loyalty happens as a cost for the ability, so even if the opponent tries to Incinerate you and redirect it to Garruk as an instant, it's too late. He'll lose 3 loyalty and still be alive.

True Believer "protects" your planeswalker by giving you shroud, so targeted burn can't hit you.
Stifle does counter planeswalkers' activated abilities.
Pithing Needle messes with planeswalkers nicely.
Saltblast is better now.
Molten Disaster can not only injure your opponent's planeswalkers, it clears away blockers so you can attack to finish them off.
Perilous Research lets you throw away your used-up friend to draw 2 cards.
Clockspinning can put loyalty on your planeswalkers or remove loyalty from your opponent's planeswalkers.
Doubling Season doubles the number of loyalty planeswalkers come into play with, but doesn't affect loyalty counters added or removed to pay for their abilities.

[Utopianlaw]

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x...swalkers/week4 is the site if you haven't read it yet with also a clear picture of the Green Planeswalker (Garruk Wildspeaker)

I'm beginning to like these, and the rules cleared it up for me. Glad they (the activated abilities) are one a turn, at Sorcery speed. The abilities can't be countered (unless by Stifle, etc), which is nice. Also, they can be Faith's Fetters which is very fun. Thumbs up from me all around.

[fnord]

You can play a planeswalker only at the time you could play a sorcery

So Quicken will allow you to play a PW and then use an ability at opponent's EOT.

[humboldty]

Quicken states that the spell HAS to be sorcery for it to be played at instant speed.

[Virus]

Gaaaahh, sorcery speed, nooo!!
It sucks!

[FirstType]

These rules are terrible, needlessly complicated and unintuitive. In particular:

Originally Posted by Mark Gottlieb

For example, although you can't target a planeswalker with Shock, you can target your opponent with Shock, and then as Shock resolves, choose to have Shock deal its 2 damage to one of your opponent's planeswalkers. If you do, two loyalty counters are removed from that planeswalker.

You can't choose to split the damage between a player and a planeswalker. In the Shock example above, you couldn't have Shock deal 1 damage to the player and 1 damage to the planeswalker.

If a source you control would deal damage to you, you can't have that source deal that damage to one of your planeswalkers instead.

Ew, ew, ew. This is needlessly complicated. I'd accept redirecting damage (though even that seems rather complicated and it'd be better, IMO, if they didn't allow this at all, or implemented it in a more intuitive way), but why complicate it unnecessarily by forbidding partial damage redirection and by forbidding redirection of damage of an effect you yourself control?

What happens if a single source (e.g. Cone of Flame) deals multiple packets of damage? Can a packet be redirected? I assume so, but being able to redirect some packets, but not individual points of damage within packets, is really needlessly complicated.

[rancored_elf]

A summary of the stuff we weren't already clear about, for those not wanting to read the whole thing:

- any spell or ability that affects a permanent can affect a planeswalker (can be tapped, returned to hand, destroyed, etc)
- if a card only affects a creature, it won't affect a planeswalker (Condemn and Damnation do nothing to them)
- if two or more planeswalkers that share a subtype are in play, they're all put into their owners' graveyards as a state-based effect (so they're effectively legendary without saying so)
- you're limited to one ability from each of your planeswalkers during your turn and only any time you could play a sorcery
- you can't play a planeswalker's ability with a negative loyalty cost unless the planeswalker has at least that many loyalty counters on it
- as the declare attackers step begins, the active player declares who or what each attacking creature is attacking: the defending player or any of that player's planeswalkers
- blocking creatures don't care who or what the attackers are attacking
- unblocked creatures that are attacking a planeswalker assign and deal their combat damage to that planeswalker
- a creature with trample that's attacking a planeswalker can't "trample over" that planeswalker and assign combat damage to the defending player (duh)
- if a planeswalker leaves play or changes controllers, it stops being attacked, but a creature that was attacking it isn't removed from combat: if it isn't blocked it remains an attacking creature but assigns no combat damage
- if a source you control would deal noncombat damage to an opponent, you may have that source deal all of that damage to a planeswalker that opponent controls instead (damage can't be split up between the player and their planeswalker/planeswalkers)
- if a source you control would deal damage to you, you can't have that source deal that damage to one of your planeswalkers instead (you can't cast Hurricane and have your planeswalker take the damage instead of you)

Rules clarifications:

You can use damage prevention to stop damage to you that might be redirected to your planeswalkers. Just apply the damage prevention before the option to redirect, so you (and your planeswalkers) are safe.

Smart players playing Garruk against red decks won't lose him due to Incinerate. Play Garruk. When he comes into play, you get priority again. Activate his +1 ability (untapping two lands). The +1 loyalty happens as a cost for the ability, so even if the opponent tries to Incinerate you and redirect it to Garruk as an instant, it's too late. He'll lose 3 loyalty and still be alive.

True Believer "protects" your planeswalker by giving you shroud, so targeted burn can't hit you.
Stifle does counter planeswalkers' activated abilities.
Pithing Needle messes with planeswalkers nicely.
Saltblast is better now.
Molten Disaster can not only injure your opponent's planeswalkers, it clears away blockers so you can attack to finish them off

[Solmancer]

@FirstType: Such as what, for multiple packets of damage..?

They chose not to allow burn to go directly to them because that technically would require errata'ing every spell and ability in existance that did damage to players. Even then, in cases like Inferno, it can get a little weird.


Additionally, I'm really starting to wonder how abuseable these are going to be with Clockspinning...

[Lembas]

Lovely data
Incinerate kills a Garruk tasty!

[Virus]

Yeah, the inferno's controller may have it deals damage to you OR to your planeswalkers. So, it's not like another player in the game, which is counter-intuitive and will cause lots of doubts and I'll have a hard time making my friends believe me...

[Haiku Ninja]

Originally Posted by FirstType

Ew, ew, ew. This is needlessly complicated. I'd be fine with redirecting direct, but why complicate it unnecessarily by forbidding partial damage redirection and by forbidding redirection of damage of an effect you yourself control?

Not being able to divide up the damage makes it more complicated? How is "all to you, or all to the 'walker" more complicated than dividing it up? I mean, with a teammate, if you play Inferno, you can't say "Hey, buddy, teammate, seeing as you have more life than I do, how about I take 3 and you take 9, huh?"

[Achorn]

pretty much what we expected.

its going to make things interesting if you have a planeswalker out it kind of acts like a shield against burn spells (in that your opponent might want to take off a couple loyalty points so they dont have to deal with a 3/3 beast or have to discard another card etc etc) and if you are playing against your opponent and hes building towards the big loyalty ability (like the -8 one on liliana) do you burn your opponent or set him back two or three loyalty points?

it will make things interesting if nothing else. and I'm really interested to see what the other 3 planeswalkers do.

[MissilePenguin]

I'm calling it: Planeswalkers suck for Constructed.

My Incinerate/Lash Out/PsiBlast > Your planeswalker.

[MountainGoat]

Nice to know that we were pretty much spot on with how the PWs work.

Also, did Wizards website not update right because MaRo's article is the one from the 27th? Ooops! A great day for wizards.com, indeed.

[George_Harrison_Smith]

I like them; they are flavourfoul, easy to undestand; although I have the feeling that in the pre relase the judges will be very busy; re explaining to everyone how to use properly Planeswalkers.

I want my Liliana.